Goodbye 2023 – Hello 2024

Goodbye 2023 – Hello 2024

Hello Folks,

Greetings for the season and wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. 

Instead of my usual New Year letter, I decided to do things slightly differently this year.  After many years living in various countries, it is now a year and seven months since I returned to the UK.

So rather than share the numerous travels and events of the year, I would like to share a few of the many equally important stories, quotes and learnings collected over the past 12 months.  In some way these have helped shape my thinking in a new way.  It’s been a year of lots of learning and bending and bowing. Being polished to perfection (or toughened might be a better synonym!) from all sides which has to be a sign of the “End Times …” 

So here goes with the help of some quotes and reflections. Enjoy!

“The softest pillow is a clear conscience.” 

How beautiful this quote is. It was shared by Sister Maureen when she was giving a session in Oxford. It’s so important to keep the conscience clean and clear … at all times. 

Stop Worrying …
“If we talk a lot about our worries then imagine how many thoughts we are having about them.”

This is self-explanatory!

The Mayor of Reykjavik
One day someone in the council chamber was insulting the Mayor. He felt the anger welling up. Then he got up to speak and he said, “I heard the opinion you have of me, but I have another opinion of me. I know you and you can do better than that.” 

So we can change a negative into a positive. We can change our experience of situations by changing our attitude, and by staying in our self-respect. 

Karma’s Return
“We cannot look at the situation and comment because we don’t know the karmic repercussions behind that.”

It is always easy to comment upon the lives of others, commonly known as gossip, but how much are we aware of the karma we are creating for ourselves?  So it’s wise to choose our words and actions with care.

Clear Thinking

“If your line of the intellect is clear your feet will take you to a place of safety.”
Dadi Jankiji

When the head and heart are clean then both our conscience and our intuition will work to protect and guide us.

Use the Light Touch
“Why do you use a hammer when you can use the tips of your fingers?”
Dadi Jankiji

Strength and force are no match for gentleness. We must be careful about how we use our gifts, and see if a solution be found in another way.

Transparency
“I know you are a great person but speak so that I may know you.”

 A friend shared this on her Instagram. It’s a famous quote but neither of us know from whom!  Here is my interpretation!

We fall for great people, we get impressed by them but do we know if they are that great, positive and thoughtful inside? Are their hearts and minds clean?  It’s so easy to become a follower these days. Check first to see if your hero is worth following! 

And two short stories on faith and trust…

Water … the Pump and the Bottle

Once there was a man walking through the desert and his water ran out. For two days he had no water. He was thirsty and hungry. 

After a while the man came to a small hut. He was not sure if it was real or he was hallucinating. The man ran to the hut, touched it and what a relief it was real! He entered the hut, looking for water, and found none. Then he found a pump but could not access water. It was not working. 

Finally, as the man looked around a little more he found a bottle of water in the corner and he wanted to drink it fast, but then he saw a piece of paper which read, “Use this water to start the pump.  Don’t forget to refill the bottle after.”

But he got scared and thought. “Shall I? What if it’s a hoax and it does not start and I lose my precious water?  What if the reservoir has dried up down there?” 

He thought hard. Closed his eyes and began to pour the water. Then he began to work the pump. In a short while the pump began to gurgle and water came gushing out. The man was thrilled!

He drank to his hearts delight. 

And finally after filling the bottle, on the note he added the words …  “Believe me, it works!”

What can you learn from this story? What would you have done?  Life is all a matter of faith and trust.  Our impulsive behaviour, often coming from fear, does not allow us to make sensible choices in life.

Faith through the Storm

A young man applied for a job as a farmhand.  When the farmer asked for his qualifications he said, “I can sleep through a storm.”

This puzzled the farmer but he liked the young man.  So he hired him.

A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm ripping through the valley.  The farmer jumped out of bed and called out for his new hired man, but found him sleeping soundly in the midst of the storm.

The farmer and his wife quickly began to check things to see if all was secure.  They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened.  A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.

The farmer and his wife then inspected their property.  They saw that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements.  And wheat bales had been bound and wrapped in tarps.

The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had plenty of feed. All was well.

The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man’s words, “I can sleep through a storm.” 

Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any storm.  So when the storm did actually break, he was not concerned or afraid.  He could sleep in peace.

Are we just as prepared for any and every eventuality? It pays to invest in the peaceful times so that we can then sleep through any storm. How much we have prepared ourselves for the unexpected storms of life?

All these pieces hold hidden gems of learning for me.  I have found from all the tests and lessons that come along in life, that when I have to review my progress, it really pays to use my spiritual virtues. To sharpen the power of discernment, increase the power to accommodate and adjust, and to develop an appetite for eating humble pie!  

I know that faith and discipline absolutely helps to pull me through the challenges of life, whether those tests are big or small.  That it is always better to be “kind” than to just pump up the ego simply to be “right”.  Love really is the answer to everything.  

It’s Time … to welcome another New Year of learning with love.

ps/ Forgot to mention, I am in Italy now ushering in the new year with the divine family.

© ‘It’s Time…’  by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK